atcd because of limited sources of revenue available to local govern- 

 ments, in which case all districts would share alike. 



Total Equalized Valuation 



The statutes provide for state aid to school districts based on equal- 

 ized valuation and average daily membership (ADM) in approved pub- 

 lic schools. The equalized valuation is the amoiuit of taxable property 

 computed by the State Tax Commission for each town or school district. 

 It is based on full market value. 



Like other economic factors, equalized valuation varies tremendous- 

 ly among school districts. The grouping of school districts according to 

 total equalized valuation tends to separate urban and rural districts. All 

 of the 12 cities included in the tabulations and four other urban centers 

 are concentrated in one group having a valuation of $25 million or more. 

 Moreover, the proportion of districts which qualified for foundation aid 

 declined as total valuation increased. Of the 16 urban districts having a 

 taxable wealth in excess of $25 million only one qualified for any foun- 

 dation aid. 



Towns having an equalized valuation of less than $2 million are 

 quite distinguishable from the towns of higher taxable wealth (Table 3) . 

 A large majority of these towns experienced a decline in population 

 from 1950 to 1960. Eleven of the 48 districts with a valuation below $2 

 million maintain no schools and send both elementary and high school 

 pupils to neighboring districts on a tuition basis. Costs of education per 

 pupil are higher for elementary pupils, and somewhat lower for high 

 school pupils, than for groups of districts with higher valuation. 



There is a general tendency for elementary costs per pupil to de- 

 cline as total taxable valuations increase, indicating relatively poorer 

 efficiency of smaller elementary schools. Such a relationship between 

 taxable wealth and costs per pupil is not so apparent for the high 

 schools. There is evidence here, however, that larger high schools can 

 offer a much more comprehensive program of studies at a cost per pupil 

 quite similar to that of maintaining a more restrictive program in small 

 high schools. 



There is no general tendency for school tax rates, percent of tax as- 

 sessment for schools, property tax per pupil, or valuation per capita to 

 increase or decrease as the total amount of taxable property increases. 



Equalized Valuation Per Capita 



The previous discussion was deducted from tabulations for 211 

 school districts grouped according to total equalized valuation. Similar 

 tabulations have been completed for school districts grouped according 

 to equalized valuation per capita. By this grouping it was observed that 



